A Daily Word - Jan. 25

The older I get, the more I love my family. My wife, my sons and daughters in law and my six grandchildren are more precious to me than anything else in this life. But if I were starting my family over again, I'd strive to do better. I would listen more. Love my wife more. Spend more quality time with my children. Praise them more often for doing right. If I had it to do over again I'd let them know how grateful to God I am for each of them, every day. Because family matters.

Puritan reformer and preacher Jonathan Edwards married Sarah Pierpoint, and they had 11 children. Every day Jonathan and Sarah Edwards would sit down with each one of those children alone, and say "Let's talk a little about you." Also, every day, this husband and wife rode on horseback together for an hour or more. And 150 years after Edwards' death, his family was still growing strong. By 1900, the Edwards clan included 13 college presidents, 66 professors, a law school dean, 100 attorneys, 32 judges, 56 physicians, a medical school president, over 80 public office holders, over 100 missionaries, and a whole platoon of clergymen. Edwards' legacy was not his writings or the sermons he preached. It was the family he loved and led.

What about you? Is your family your number one priority? Do they know it? Tell them today, and let your actions prove that it is true.

MEMORY VERSE

Grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of sons is their fathers.

It’s the start of a new year. And inevitably, over the next 12 months, we’ll all struggle at some point. That’s why it’s so important to stay in God’s Word, so we’re prepared for when the darkness sets in. Psalm 119:105 tells us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Let us help you stay in the light with Dr. Ed Young’s 365-day devotional book, Standing on the Promises of God. It’s our gift to thank you for your renewed financial support of The Winning Walk.